The subject invention concerns an improved rotary stand comprising a shelf, the lower face of which is provided with a thrust bearing consisting of two parts, one of which is supported in direct contact with or essentially in direct contact with a support face, such as a table top.
The rotary stand in accordance with the invention is suitable for use in a variety of different applications but it is particularly useful and suitable as a work table to support table computers, such as word processing units, table terminals and similar units. It is likewise possible to use the stand in accordance with the invention to support telephones, intercom apparatuses, binders, books, et cetera.
Table terminals essentially comprise a keyboard and a display. The display may be combined with a central processing unit. The keyboard and the display are separate but interconnected units. The distance by which the units are spaced apart may, on the whole, be chosen at liberty but, in practice, the display is as a rule positioned on the table top in a certain position in front of the operator and the keyboard is positioned in front of the display. The distance between the operator and the display is determined by the distance that the operator finds suitable to work actively with the display. The display, which may be comparatively heavy and bulky, is not moved aside when not actually in active use but remains in the position facing the operator, in comparative close proximity to the operator. From a sanitary point of view, this is quite unsuitable considering that the radiation from the display may be harmful.
Prior art technology fails to indicate a work table which may be suitable for use with computer terminals and which solves the problems outlined above. One type of conventional rotary work tables or rotary stands comprises a shelf which is mounted on a column or center shaft which is mounted in a cross member. Because of their structure, work tables of this type are comparatively high and for this reason alone they are not particularly suitable to be mounted on a desk or similar work table tops. In addition, their height makes them unstable and this condition is aggravated by the reduced support that is provided by the arms extending away from the cross member. Displays are very heavy units, particularly when they comprise a central processing unit, which means that work tables of conventional design and technology are positively unsuitable to support computer terminals.